


I Always Sleep Easy Next To You

by forgetmenotjimmy



Series: Antidote to Canon [6]
Category: Chicago Fire
Genre: Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Idiots in Love, M/M, Moving On, Season/Series 08, reference to past relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-24
Updated: 2019-11-24
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:14:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21548938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forgetmenotjimmy/pseuds/forgetmenotjimmy
Summary: “I dreamt that Gabby came back and said the door was always open.” Kelly winced but prodded.“And?”“And nothing. I woke up-”“Panicking.”“I was not panicking.” Matt glared.
Relationships: Matthew Casey/Kelly Severide, Past Matthew Casey/Gabriela Dawson
Series: Antidote to Canon [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1552927
Comments: 14
Kudos: 82





	I Always Sleep Easy Next To You

_There’ll always be room in my tent for you, Matt Casey._

Matt woke with a start. Sucking in a sharp breath, he wiggled out from under the arm flung over him and sat up, panting slightly. The person beside him groaned in protest but Matt was too busy focusing on calming his breathing and slowing down the thoughts whirling through his head.

“Casey?” Severide muttered.

“M’okay.” Matt managed to ground out before staggering up, heading for the kitchen. He poured himself a glass of water and fought the urge to shudder at Gabby’s voice invading his ear – intimate and unrelenting. He focused on the coolness of the floor soaking through the soles of his feet and began to shiver a little. He finished the glass, took in another deep breath and returned to bed.

Severide was rubbing his eyes. “You alright?”

“Fine. Go back to sleep.”

Severide was quiet a moment before he gave a theatrical stretch and yawn, landing half on top of Matt, who grunted in surprise. “Not until you do.”

Irritation warring with amusement, Matt tried. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Kelly just stared down at him, eyes glinting a little in the low light.

Huffing, Matt muttered. “I dreamt that Gabby came back and said the 'door was always open'.”

Kelly winced but prodded. “And?”

“And nothing. I woke up-”

“Panicking.”

“I was not panicking.” Matt glared.

Kelly ignored the protest, insisting. “It freaked you out.”

Matt’s jaw twitched.

“Why?” Kelly prodded.

“None of your business!” He was only just able to make out Kelly’s eyebrow raise in the gloom and rubbed his forehead, frustrated. “I just…I’m not sure if I’m really over her. Maybe this is my brain telling me I’m not.”

“What does your heart say?” Kelly asked sincerely. It was Matt’s eyebrow’s turn to quirk upwards then. Kelly pinched his hip. “I’m serious. Answer the question.”

Matt barked a surprise laugh and squirmed a little before surrendering. “Okay, okay! I _want_ to be over her but I don’t _know_ for sure.”

Kelly twisted his lip before proposing reasonably. “Okay, imagine she was here now. What would you say?”

“Why are you in my room?”

“You wouldn’t want her to join us?” Kelly insisted.

Matt’s stomach squirmed uncomfortably and his fingers tightened on Kelly’s arms.

“I’m taking that as a ‘no’.” Kelly chuckled.

Matt nodded minutely, biting his lip, not meeting Kelly's eyes.

“I can’t tell you what you feel,“ Kelly said gently, “but your rant the other night makes me think you couldn’t go back to the way things were.”

Matt cringed a little to recall how he’d drunkenly taken over from Kelly despairing over Stella dumping him, how he'd gone on about not settling for someone who wasn't right.

“I guess not.” Matt replied thoughtfully.

Kelly watching him closely.

Coming out of his head, he looked up at his friend. “ _You_ sleeping okay?”

Kelly averted his gaze a moment but then looked back.

“Yeah.” He answered, sounding a little surprised.

Matt smiled. “Good.”

Heart swelling, he couldn’t hold back his hand from smoothing Kelly’s brow, sliding down the side of his face. Kelly let him, gaze intensifying. “I know we agreed not to define this,” Matt rasped, “but whatever it is, it’s good for me. I feel better. Happier.”

“Calmer.” Kelly added, one of his palms cupping Matt’s cheek. Matt hummed in agreement, fingers toying with the hairs behind Kelly’s ear. “Maybe we could keep it up, you know, for the time being.” Kelly suggested casually.

Matt nodded, resisting the urge to bury his face in Kelly’s chest and cry. “Yeah, sounds good.”

Kelly smiled and dropped a quick kiss on Matt’s lips. He settled back next to Matt, who curled into his side. Kelly pulled him close and they both quickly fell asleep.

**Author's Note:**

> If only, eh? So I'm making a series of ficlets redoing scenes or adding scenes I'd have liked to see in canon. Next few will be:  
> \- Stella acknowledging she has lingering issues from her failed marriage which lead her to misinterpret Kelly's attitude during the whole Taylor thing (why does the show say only Kelly has to change?!)  
> \- Matt thanking Mouch and apologising to Cruz for the mess he made of the Flaco debacle  
> \- Probably some more people calling out Gabby
> 
> If you have anything else you'd like to see in this series, let me know!  
> Thanks for reading!  
> :D


End file.
